Saturday, July 17, 2010

Alright, well I was postponing a New York blog since I ate and did so much in 5/6 days that I feel like it would be boring for me to dictate, but here it goes (since I took all those photos of my food and it would been a waste of time if I don't do this)!

Day 1: Sushi at East Sapporo on 10th. After being picked up from the airport, where I discovered that there was no storm shower as my iphone had forecasted- I almost melted into a puddle wearing boots, jeans and a hoodie, my aunt drove me to Brooklyn and then to East Sapporo where I met up with an old friend from NYC. I was craving Tuna Tataki but the closest thing I saw to that on the menu was a Tuna Steak to which I said rare-medium but turned out to be entirely cooked! But still quite yummy with some citrusy marinade. My aunt and my friend ordered softshell crab roll and some other one that I didn't really try.

Day 2: For breakfast my other Aunt (with whom I stayed with) took me to a quaint little Filipino restaurant where I had the best Daing (some sort of fried salty-esque fish) with eggs. It was sooo good, each bite brought back so many memories of growing up in the Philippines. It actually made me miss the Philippines even more, or the fact that I don't feel Filipino at all because I'm too lame to remember how to speak Tagalog or I can barely get around on my own there. For lunch, more Filipino-ness, my cousin brought me to Jollibee where the AC was busted so it truly felt like I was in the Philippines. I had their palabok and chicken joy (noodles with egg (?) sauce and fried chicken pretty much. It was yummy except the prices were atleast six times more than it would be in the Philippines!

For dinner I met up with one of my bestest friends from highschool. We went to this really awesome resto in TriBeCa (short for triangle below the canal) called Ninja. Upon entrance we knew it would be a memorable eating experience as the entire reception was decorated with huge dark black boulders to mimic a dungeon or Japan during the middle ages (I'm not very historical but it looked like a dungeon). Anyways, the restaurant was actually in the basement and we were ushered into an elevator to get to the dining floor. What we didn't realize was the surprises to come! Immediately after the elevator opened a waiter dressed as a ninja came out so sleuthly we (those in the elevator) were startled when he made some ninja-esque greeting. The rest of the meal was full of random ninjas throwing (but not really) ninja stars sleuth gate openings etc. I'm sad I can't fully describe this experience in its entirety but it's really something to experience for yourself. I had pan seared tuna with beets, it was different and so yummy, along with chef's special sashimi which floated nicely on a leaf in what looked to be a cauldron! I don't really know type of fish there was except for Tuna I knew was involved.

Day 3: For breakfast my aunt made some Filipino chicken sausages. For lunch, after shopping for a good hour or two at Forever 21 on Union Square we chose to eat something different and stepped into a Mexican Resto on University Blvd. I ordered a seafood fajita mix, since I'm so in love with seafood. It was suuuch a big portion as it came with tortilla wraps, the prawns lettuce peppers and tomatos, rice and beans! I ate it like a salad minus the tortilla, rice and beans as I was already stuffed after eating half the massive plate of prawns. For dinner, I didn't really have much time to eat dinner as I was trying to get home to queens to shower and then run back to manhattan for a friend's birthday at Pulse Karaoke Bar near Times Square. At the Karaoke Bar, he ordered some wings and pigs in blanket (?) appys which were pretty yummy for a karaoke bar or maybe cause I was really hungry.

Day 4: For breakfast my uncle decided to make me pancakes with chocolate syrup and blueberries! It was a nice gesture and was super yummy but I rushed to eat it as I was already late to meet up with my highschool friend. For lunch, after having met up with my friend, we purchased our lunch from Whole Foods in this super fancy building and walked through central park to have a picnic on the lake (which we later rowed a boat through!). For dinner, we went to this Afghan Kebab House on 54th (?) where I had the BEST tandoori prawn kebabs. It was sooo good I'm starting to crave it as I type. This was probably one of the best days of being in New York. I felt like such a New Yorker, picnic in Central Park, going to the Met for a dollar, taking a NYC cab to watch Mary Poppins on Broadway and then taking the train and walking home to Queens where my Aunt left out this cute but deadly little cup of Tiramisu.

Day 5: For breakfast my aunt made me a yummy prawn sandwich spread with pandesal (Filipino bread buns). For lunch, we ate at this Malaysian Resto near the Circle Line Tour dock (where I later went for a nice little boat cruise around Manhattan). Anyways, for lunch I had this yummy tart and sour green mango salad with prawns and then soft shell crab with green mangos. I rarely experienced this tarty crunchy yummy-ness! For dinner, I went to Penang, a fusion of Thai and Malaysian resto in Queens. My aunt ordered the Roti Canai (this pastry/bread esque with curry esque dip) and lots of seafood dishes(which kind of tasted like chinese food).

Day 6: Before leaving I went to a Japanese restaurant where I had mango chicken and pad thai ... I also was confused as to why it was called a Japanese restaurant but I noticed that most things in New York were ethnically diverse or there was a nice fusion between most ethnicities.

Anyways, I ate a crap load when I went to New York as the weighing scale portrayed with my return. I was so at awe and appreciative to my family and friends who took so much time from work to spend time with me. I really did feel absolutely amazing. Despite the short time my freedom (for the most part) was so liberating. It was good to feel independent, to be able to commute and find locations on my own! It was nice to be around people who chose to take the time to be with me =)

Life is short. This message reverberates with each movie, with each song and even more so with a passing of a individual close to us. This past week my sister's friend passed away at the young age of 16. As inevitable as it is, death can be emotional, especially when it occurs at young age in such a tragic circumstance.

While the mood I seem to be painting is dark and gloomy, the message and content of this blog is not (I hope). Not to reiterate, but life is short. I lived this week being wholey (not a word I know) grateful and alive. Grateful for the people that have been such a great and amazing part of my life, the privileges I am able to experience and the simple things I am able to accomplish.

Tuesday with my cousin, I went for facials and got my hair done then splurged on dinner at Coast on Robson and Alberni. I had an amazing smoked salmon flat bread and fresh Atlantic Scallops (which I kinda thought was a bit cold when I got them) with grape tomatos and some strange squash thing that I forgot the name of. Wednesday with one of my good friends, I had yummy home made (by my friend's mom) smoked salmon with sundried tomato & caper pasta, caught some rays, ate decent wings at the Fiddle and watched the Exorcist for the first time.

Thursday with another one of my good friends, I walked down through Commercial and explored through Venables and Clark in search of La Casa Gelato for some Cabernet Sauvignon Sorbetto (yummy and refreshing!). We then ventured to try Harambe's, an Ethiopian restaurant on Commercial which I thought was nicely decorated and although some (maybe most) would find the service lacking, I thought it was nice. It was a very casual and chill atmosphere catering to fellow Ethopians. The food was mostly pickled lentils, chickpeas, spinach and string beans and some spicy curry-esque chicken all of which I really liked (such a change from the seafood). I'm not sure what we ate it with (aside from using our hands) there were rolls of bread(?) the consistency was different, soft, bubbly almost kind of doughy? I've yet to do my research. I liked the new experience though!

And so as the week wraps up, I find myself thinking, what is it that I haven't done that would love to do? I have been choosing to spend time with those I love the most, those who mean so much to me while doing something either out of the ordinary, just relaxing, or endulging in a treat. The people that surround you and the experiences you live through with them are those that matter. While I did hold a bit of a grudge, after the occurance of certain events this week I find it worthless to spend any more time and emotion on the matter.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

It seems now adays with the black white grey and all the colors in-between that some definitions vary. While this is the case for most things, the whole not having a set and specific definition, I'm pretty sure there is one definite underlying quality or word to define the word 'friend'. Friends for me are supposed to be dependable, trustworthy and caring. I have a fair bit of 'friends' on facebook and maybe even in real life I call them 'friends' but are they really a 'friend'?

Lately with my sudden free time I've been given unlimited time to think about where I am in life, people I know and my real friends. Friends take the time out of their day or week to keep in contact with you no matter how busy they are. A mere 'hey, I'm busy this week we'll hang out next week', although quite short, what I see in this message is care. It is enough for me to see that they took the time out of their day to consider me, that they wanted to hang out with me, contact me. I'm not needy. I don't need to be showered with constant attention, I can get along fine being independent and wandering about on my own. But if I am supposed to call you a friend you need to be one.

Friendships have boundaries, mutual understandings. While some people construct these understandings amongst themselves, I prefer to keep my friendships platonic, by platonic I simply mean no overt flirting! Flirting is a definite no-no, I think. I mean, I guess some people are different but I know various friendships ruined by an overboard of flirting. I don't need to be smothered with affection either. And it is also a definite no-no to flirt/ give out your number to your friends ex. It simply is not done, for me anyway.

I thought I'd start this long blog with that since I haven't blogged it up in a while. My New York eating adventures will soon be posted! But lately I have been indulging in ... Vietnamese food. I don't think I can ever get truly tired of it. Yesterday my friend's mom made some really yummy lobster ravioli with tomato sauce, sooo good! I also made my return (finally) to Sango in Suter Brook and tried the Hawaiian Roll! Yummy spicy tuna roll with ahi tuna on top. Also tried Malaysian Orange Ginger chicken wings at the Wings on North Road after watching Knight & Day with some friends, it was a good time!